


Riptide

by Foxtrot1073



Category: Naruto
Genre: All the fluff for Naruto, BAMF Dai-nana-han | Team 7 (Naruto), BAMF Namikaze Kazuma, BAMF Uzumaki Naruto, Because fluff is good but a story makes it better, Domestic Fluff, Fix-It, Fluff, Future!Naruto, Gen, Happy Uchiha Sasuke, Kazuma/Kakashi might happen, Maybe - Freeform, Naruto is Just Naruto, No Uchiha Massacre, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Time Travel, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto Friendship, Unoriginal?, We'll get there, but not sure yet, do i care?, if a bit angsty & emo, no, plot heavy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-24 15:48:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21580558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foxtrot1073/pseuds/Foxtrot1073
Summary: Sometimes, Naruto wonders what Kazuma's really up too. He's strong. He's too strong to be a normal civilian, that much Naruto is sure of. But he doesn't wear a headband and that leads Naruto to believe that he's doing something, just something that can't be broadcasted on his forehead. But what? Maybe he was like a spy? He was a really nice spy then, for buying him all that ramen and helping him hunt.But if so, then for who?Naruto felt a brush of fur along his leg and kneeled to pet Spitfire. If it was for someone bad, the old man would have already known about it. Since Kazuma's obviously not in jail, he might just be working for the Hokage himself. Unless he was stronger than the Hokage..."This is giving me a headache," he muttered.-Namikaze Kazuma comes from the Land of Honey. However, he knows too much, he's too strong, and there's not enough information on his background for anyone to actually believe he is who he says he is. To top it off, this new stranger is getting far too close with the current container of the Nine Tailed Fox. Someone was going to make a move eventually.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Namikaze Kazuma, Hatake Kakashi & Uzumaki Naruto, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Sarutobi Hiruzen & Namikaze Kazuma, Sarutobi Hiruzen & Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto & Namikaze Kazuma (future!Naruto)
Comments: 59
Kudos: 282





	1. When Two Stars Collide

**Author's Note:**

> I have read Naruto fanfics. Now I hope to contribute to the pile. I've always been the most drawn towards time travel, fix-it stories so I'll go with that. I'm even rewatching Naruto for this and isn't that a handle full on its own.
> 
> In any case, it's my first time. I want to go far with it but who knows. Please enjoy!

### When Two Stars Collided

Naruto wanted what other kids had. Sometimes, he didn’t care if he was a monster, or if he was a bad kid or whatever the adults said. He wanted what other kids had, even the ones without family.

He wanted love.

Or something like it, at least. He could kind of remember his time in the orphanage. He was the only one that got yelled at all the time. It was always him getting a scolding or a beating or time-out. The other kids got it a whole lot better. Treats and pats on the head when they were good. Naruto tried to be good too. But… he was never really good enough. Still, the other kids got love. He was pretty sure they loved each other too. Sometimes, they loved Naruto. But then adults would say that was bad, stay away, he was a monster.

Just the thought made his eyes tear up. But no. He rubbed them away furiously. He wasn’t gonna cry about it. He would wish for it all he wanted, that was alright. But he wasn’t going to be a whiny little baby about it and cry. It was bad enough that he couldn’t do anything about it.

“Whatever,” he muttered. “Stupid adults and stupid monsters. I don't care about that stuff. I’ll make my own family when _I’m_ an adult, what they gonna do about it then? Nothing. Stupids.”

He kicked at the dirt and almost stumbled over a root, scowling before he kept moving. There was a little creek somewhere up ahead. It was pretty easy to catch fish there. So he trudged on, heavy thoughts weighing down such small shoulders.

Unbeknownst to the child, there was a figure lounging in the trees. As he passed underneath the figure, bright blue eyes followed him. When Naruto got too far, the figure followed, continuing to watch from the shadows of the trees.

Just as every other time Naruto carried himself up here, it was fairly easy to catch three or so fish. Considering how put out he was with trying to buy groceries for the week, he found himself catching three more to sate his rumbling tummy. When he got a small fire going, he set the first fish to smoke.

His large eyes found themselves looking up. The sky loomed overhead, cast with light clouds against a darkening blue sky. Soon, it would really be dark out. Naruto knew from experience that staying out too late at night was a dangerous move to play.

However, Naruto also knew that sleeping in the forest at night would be just as bad as walking through the village at night. he already knew which idea he preferred. At least the animals would eat him because they need the food, not because they hated him. He scowled. “That’s a pretty sad thought. How stupid.”

“What’s a sad thought?”

Naruto yelped. He leapt up from his log and whirled around to meet a very tall stranger peering down at him from the trees, much like he’d see shinobi do when they were running along the rooftops of Konoha. Just the thought of them-and the possibility that he might be talking to one now-made him terrified and excited at the same time. But then he noticed that the man had no leaf headband. Maybe he was just a weirdo that liked to climb? Not so interesting anymore.

“Who’re you?” he said. Just in case this adult was getting ready to steal his fish, he scooted out of the way to avoid possible injury.

“I hunt sometimes around here. Gotta fill my stomach and I can't really do that with an empty wallet!” Naruto blinked. He was so loud and bright. He sniffed and kicked a little at the dirt.

“Course you can’t, stupid. Wai- hey! That wasn’t my question, you sneaky adult! Who’re you? Why’re you talking to me? Are you here for my fish?”

Blue eyes blinked, startled. “What? Of course not! I wouldn't take your fish. I watched you catch it. It’s yours, fair and square.” Naruto squinted at the strange man. “Honestly. I promise not to touch your food. Besides, I've already caught my own.” As proof, he held up a few rabbits that were strung together by their feet. “I was getting ready to skin them when I saw you walking all by yourself. Wanted to make sure you weren’t about to get yourself eaten by a bear or something, you know?”

No, Naruto definitely didn’t know. But the man had his own food. He also sounded pretty friendly to him. He shrugged and sat back down at his log, turning the fish over. “Um, okay.” Suddenly, he felt a little awkward. But...it would really be nice to have company for once, seeing as he was no longer living in the orphanage anymore. This was also the first person to approach him without those cold eyes of the villagers.

“Well, um.” He scratched his ear and sniffed. “Do you wanna sit with me? We can eat together. And I already have a fire.” He held his breath, waiting for the answer. Naruto’s shoulders relaxed when a chuckle reached his ears.

“That you do, kiddo,” the man said as he waltzed over and sat himself down across from Naruto’s log. “That you do. My name’s Namikaze Kazuma but Kazuma’s just fine. I come from a place out of the village really far away. I traveled all the way from the Land of Honey. So, what’s your name?”

Naruto didn’t have the slightest clue where the Land of Honey was. It sounded pretty sweet though. In any case, Naruto felt dejected that the man was not from Konoha. He probably didn’t know Naruto was a bad kid or anything.

Seeing as this was his only chance, Naruto decided to make the best of it. He grinned up at Kazuma and slapped a hand to his chest. “I’m Uzumaki Naruto! I like ramen and Konoha is the only place I’ve ever been to.” he stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet ya, Kazuma-san!”

Kazuma shook Naruto’s hand, dwarfing it completely with his much larger one. Though Naruto’s seen people shake hands plenty of times before, this was his first time. He was surprised with how warm it made him feel, like a fuzzy energy that made him feel more revitalized than any cup of ramen could have made him. What was also surprising was how hard and rough the man’s hand was. Were all adults like that? Not the ones at the orphanage.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Naruto.” Just as he let go (and Naruto was feeling a bit dejected at the loss of that bit of warmth) there was a grumble through the air. Naruto smiled sheepishly as he rubbed his stomach but Kazuma just laughed it off. “Go ahead and eat, kiddo. I’ll prepare the rabbits and if you’re still hungry after the fish, I might share.”

Naruto snagged a fish from the fire and looked at the stranger as he took a big bite. “Might?”

Kazuma nodded as he skinned the rabbits. Naruto almost gagged on his food, both awed and appalled but too interested to look away. Besides, if he never saw Kazuma again, this would be very important to remember if he ever wanted to eat a rabbit.

“Might. If you tell me why in the world such a tiny guy like you is in the forest alone catching and cooking your dinner, I’ll definitely share my spoils of the hunt.”

Naruto struggled to swallow his food and listen at the same time, eyes still riveted on the bunny that no longer looked cute and fluffy, only bloody and more bloody. And kind of really gross. “Well, I didn’t have enough money for groceries this week and I really wanted to eat now so I decided to come out here and get a bigger and better meal. I mean, instant ramen, there’s no way it can ever be bad but I eat a lot sometimes and sometimes I can’t help but eat more. So that’s why I had to hunt because I have no more ramen cups in my home.”

Naruto was so engrossed with watching Kazuma skin the next two rabbits that he hadn't noticed just how much he said and how pale Kazuma was getting. He didn’t see the dark look, an almost sad one, in the man’s eyes. However, he did take notice of the when his hands stopped moving.

Too fast for Naruto’s untrained eyes to follow, Kazuma was beside him in a second, overdramatically sobbing and squishing Naruto in a hug. The young blond was absolutely blindsided.

“You poor, poor little thing! You gotta feed yourself, it must be so hard! And all you gotta eat are ramen cups which is absolutely devastating since they’re nothing compared to the real thing. You haven’t lived life at all, have you? Oh, the tragedy!”

Kazuma continued on his little tangent, or big considering how loud he was, but Naruto could barely process his words. What he was really focusing on was the _warmth_. All his life he was left with icy glares and cold shoulders, harsh words meant to hurt and keep him away. But right now…

Right now, Naruto could die and be happy. He’d never felt this way before. This kind of hug, being enveloped completely. He hadn’t the slightest clue of who this man was truly, barely met him some ten minutes ago, but he was already wrapping Naruto in more love than he ever could have imagined. More love than he had hoped for, and definitely a lot sooner than he had planned. It was unexpected. It was so nice. It was perfect. Naruto didn’t want it to end.

Kazuma looked down at the smaller blond. The look of shock lasted for maybe a few seconds before being replaced with utter awe and pain. He was sure the little guy didn’t even notice the silent tears trailing down his whiskered cheeks. Kazuma didn’t say anything when the boy let out a small gasp and buried himself into his shirt like a desperate animal hiding from predators in the world. He didn’t say anything when he scooped the child up and held him even closer, despite the familiar stab in his own heart. He just continued to murmur soft, genuine words of comfort as he held Naruto.

“I-I’m sorry,” Naruto sniffled as he finally pulled back. He cringed at the spot on Kazuma’s shirt soaked in tears and probably snot too. He rubbed at his face and shuffled off the other’s lap, going back to nibble at his fish. Kazuma didn’t stop him, instead going back to his rabbits as well.

“You’ve got no reason to apologize here, Naruto. Obviously, someone hasn’t been raising you right, or at all for that matter. That can’t be your fault and crying isn’t either. Sometimes, you just have to let those horrible feelings inside get out before they really ruin you.”

Kazuma rinsed the rabbits with his waterskin and set them over the fire as well. “I’m not going to pry any further about your living conditions, okay?” Naruto nodded. “I will say that I plan to stick around Konoha for a while. I'm in the forest every other day for most of the afternoon. If ever you need something, you just come to me, alright?”

Naruto paused. “But what if you don’t want to see me anymore?”

“Why in the world would I want to stop seeing a child in need That’s pretty barbaric,” Kazuma said, tone light but Naruto pursed his lips. This man was so nice. Naruto just couldn’t help it. He had to tell him the truth. not telling him would be like lying and he just… he just didn’t want that.

“I’m...I’m actually a really bad kid. That’s why I got no one to watch me and stuff. Because I’m not good.”

Kazuma blinked. “What makes you a bad kid?”

“Adults.”

“ _Adults_ make you a bad kid?”

Naruto frowned. “No, no, they don’t make me. They say I am.”

Kazuma turned his rabbits over but didn’t look at Naruto. “Did you do anything to make you a bad kid?” The fire sizzled as he threw some more sticks in.

“Um, no? I don’t think so.”

“Do you want to be a bad kid?”

“What?!” Naruto exclaimed. “Of course I don’t want to be! But- But I just am! The adults all say it and they don’t let me play with other kids cause I’m a monster and stuff and I try really hard but nothing really works because they just say I’ll never be good or normal or anything like that. I’m just-”

“Naruto,” Kazuma said. His firm voice halted the boy in his rant. “Sometimes, adults lie. Last I checked, you have to do something to be called ‘bad’ and a ‘monster’. If you didn’t do anything, then you’re not those things.”

“Wha- but-”

“Just because _everyone_ says it doesn’t make it true. Just because an adult says it doesn’t mean they’re right. Sometimes, we’re wrong. A lot, you know?”

“Then why me?” Naruto snapped before wincing. But Kazuma didn’t bat an eyelash as he looked at Naruto.

“It might actually be something someone else did. You probably just don’t remember, or people don't want you knowing. Whatever the case, it seems like you’re actually a good kid and the adults are just angry about something else but you’re an easy target. You never know with adults; they can be a bit dumb sometimes.”

Naruto gaped but he closed his mouth and went back to eating, rolling the man’s words around in his head. Kazuma let him. When his first rabbit was done, he set about eating it.

“So...you won’t stop seeing me?” Naruto finally whispered. He was afraid Kazuma didn’t hear him when there was no reply before a rabbit was thrust into his face. He looked up refusing to let his eyes tear up at what he saw.

Kazuma’s blue eyes were bright and warm, kind and welcoming. His hand outstretched with the offered food made Naruto feel almost light headed. Kazuma’s long blond hair whipped behind his back when a gust of wind ran up the stream. “No, Naruto. I wouldn’t ever be so cruel. Now eat your food. From now on, I’ll make sure you get every bite that your growing body needs.”

Naruto didn’t have the strength to stop the tears this time, feeling weak and vulnerable. More than anyone else has ever made him feel. But he mustered up the biggest grin he could make and grabbed the offered rabbit. “I’m gonna hold you to that, old man! Now let’s eat!”

“Old ma- Ah, wait, don’t eat that yet-”

“Blerg, ew, gross! It’s not fully cooked!”

“That’s what I was-”

“You gave me undercooked rabbit? Are you trying to kill me, old man?!”

“No! And I’m not an old man! Where did you even get the idea?”

“I don’t care. And don’t give me your food, it’s gross.”

“You just have to cook it!”

Naruto ended up enjoying the entire evening with the stranger who was no longer much of a stranger. Kazuma was funny and kind. He didn’t push Naruto away at all. So, taking advantage of this newfound heaven, he talked and talked and talked. He spilled his stories through the forest where he found all kinds of animals that he didn’t know the names for. Kazuma clarified some for him and they even doused their fire and walked around to find some critters. The older blond taught him that he could eat some of the plants too. He pointed out which berries were good, which were bad, and which were poisoned. On top of that, he turned Naruto to a few leafy things that he could use to make his food with, so it wasn’t just bland meat.

“You always want to know your spices. A good cut of meat from any animal isn’t complete without the right seasoning. Besides, the same thing over and over gets boring after a while.” Naruto nodded along happily as Kazuma handed him good plants to flavor fish. “I'll teach you how to catch other animals too.”

“How’d you catch the bunnies?”

Kazuma pulled out a thing of string from a pouch around his waist. “Just a little bit of wire and anything around me, and I can make a trap. I’ll teach you how to do that too.”

By the time blue skies were replaced with twinkling stars against black space, Naruto was stumbling over his feet. He kept yawning but smiled as he dutifully followed Kazuma back out of the forest. He frowned when he looked up at the twilight.

“Uh oh,” he breathed. Kazuma turned to him.

“Will you be alright heading home?” he asked and Naruto scowled but nodded.

“Yeah, I’mma be alright. Thanks a whole bunch for today, Kazuma-san. Today was really fun!”

Kazuma hummed but he didn’t turn away from him. Without warning, the man scooped Naruto up and set him on his shoulders. “I think I’ll get you home. Dangerous to walk the streets at night, especially for a little kid like you. Besides, I think you’re too tired to really get anywhere.”

Naruto’s eyes widened but he smiled, content as he laid his head on Kazuma’s hair. It was wild but soft and he hugged the man’s head. Kazuma chuckled. Before Naruto knew it, he had drifted off, lulled into sleep from the continuous rocking and the warmth that surrounded his small frame. He almost came back to awareness when he felt his body tucked into his bed. With blurred vision and movements, he grabbed at a retreating hand.

“Will I see you again?” he murmured softly, sleep already taking him again.

“You will, Naruto. Good night. Sleep tight.”

Naruto drifted off, feeling more loved than he’d ever felt in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good? Bad? I've already started on the next chapter so tell me what you guys think and where I can take it. Also, I chose the name Kazuma because my favorite character from the anime Noragmi was named Kazuma. Also because I have no idea how to pick Japanese names and I was too lazy to. If anyone else used this name, I apologize, wasn't trying to copy. I just suck at making up names for characters. It was this or Haruto and that was just too confusing.
> 
> Note: Naruto's about five, almost six in this first chapter. Kazuma is about late twenties.
> 
> In any case, Thank You! I hope you enjoyed~


	2. Falling Stone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, I took a little longer than I thought to update... that's probably going to be a problem with me.
> 
> To clarify though, it's purely because I want to make this story as good as possible. I showed my English teacher what I'm working on and she's been helping me fix things up a bit.
> 
> Don't take your teachers for granted kids. They became teachers for a reason and for many, that reason is you. I wouldn't have decided to take up writing as a hobby if it weren't for mine.

###  Falling Stone

Naruto yawned as he woke up, stretching his arms overhead. He sleepily considered laying back down and getting up later, smacking his lips to get rid of the gross post-sleep taste in his mouth. Then, his thoughts snapped back to the man he had met yesterday, Namikaze Kazuma. A shudder went through him and the haze of sleep was whisked away.

“Oh, man,” he muttered, falling back on the bed in shock.

The day before had literally been something of his dreams, being able to laugh and smile with someone that didn’t outright reject him for a reason he never understood. To be held like he was part of a family. Literally, the nicest thing in the world. He wanted more of it.

He frowned. He wanted to go to the forest and meet Kazuma again but the man said he was only there every other day in the afternoons. That meant he wasn’t there today, but he would be tomorrow. Naruto sighed. He’d have to fill the day with something that wasn’t Kazuma.

The grin slipped back onto Naruto’s face though. If he could only see the man every other day, he could spend the other days practicing what Kazuma taught him. Then maybe he could make  _ him _ happy and proud and stuff. It was an amazing idea that made butterflies flutter around his stomach. It was a chance to really prove he was worth having around, even when Kazuma decided he didn’t like him anymore.

With a triumphant shout, Naruto leapt out of bed and rushed to throw some clothes on. Since he was probably going to be out for most of the day, and last night was just a little chilly, he grabbed his only jacket. Evidence of the only other act of kindness he had received in his life, from one of the orphans before he had to move. Although there was that old man that gave him his home and allowance. He was pretty good to him.

With a skip in his step, Naruto made his way through the market. As he passed the stands preparing for the day, he remembered Kazuma saying a bit of wire helped him make traps to catch other animals besides fish. Then Naruto pushed the thought away. He’d ask the old man about it tomorrow, then learn to do it on his own the day after that.

Before he could even get close to reaching the forest, there was a shout. Something heavy slapped against Naruto’s head and he stumbled.

“Hurry up and get a move on, you damn fox!” slurred words shouted and Naruto looked up to see a drunk man stumbling out of a shop, without a shoe on one foot. “Every time I see your devilish face, I wanna fucking puke! Get moving, scram! I’ll kill you if you don’t!”

Bystanders that were originally doing nothing suddenly stepped forward to stop the man. An argument broke out but Naruto didn’t stick around to really listen. He ran off, only catching the tail end of someone saying “Don’t! You’ll be killed, you idiot!”

Naruto didn’t care what any of them thought or what the man was saying. He just got himself as far away as he could, adamantly ignoring the cold stares of the adults and the confused looks of the kids. None of them mattered, not when he could spend his time in the warm company of Kazuma.

When Naruto was back in the forest, he didn’t go all the way to the creek this time. Instead, he wandered the areas closer to the tree line, looking for the plants that Kazuma had pointed out last night. He gathered what he could recognize, eventually wandering all the way over to the creek anyways. He realized that some actually grew closer to the water while others grew in the underbrush. Others grew where people hardly ever went, which lead him deeper into the forest, farther along than he’d ever gone before.

It took a long while though so it was almost afternoon when Naruto was able to gather a good amount of them all without getting lost. He could barely keep track of which ones came from where, never mind if they were the right ones. Now he had a pile of plants in his arms that kept falling.

“Oh, man. I should have brought a bag or something,” he muttered. He looked around but there was nothing to hold all his findings and a pout made it onto his face. He scrounged around the area, hoping to find something to hold everything. In the end, he slipped his shirt off to use instead and zipped his jacket up. 

“Now, for cooking,” Naruto said.

He spent another hour catching and cooking some fish. He wasn’t sure on how exactly to use the plants to make the fish better, but he would wing it. Throwing things together until he got it right sounded like a good plan. The ones that didn’t come out good, he threw into the forest for something else to eat. The ones that did, he kept track of.

But while Naruto was doing this, the smell of food drew more and more animals. Some darted forward and scampered off with the lot that Naruto tossed away. Others went after the animals taking the fish. But then they all scattered as something heavy broke the twigs and rustled the leaves as it stalked forward.

Naruto only became aware of this new danger when a growl ripped through his peaceful quiet.

It was loud. It was close, Naruto realized with a shudder. Slowly, he turned his head to the trees. His breath stalled as he took in the sight before him.

A wolf.

It was a fairly ordinary wolf. But Naruto was a small child, small for his age and somewhat malnourished. The wolf, compared to him, was large. The wolf, in Naruto’s eyes, was the most fearsome and terrifying thing he had ever seen. Especially as it bared its fangs at him and let loose another low growl. The hungry beast outclassed him in forecity, power and experience. Fear gripped his heart as it pounded in his chest. 

The wolf stepped forward. Naruto had to resist every cell in his body screaming at him to run. If he ran, he was absolutely sure he wasn’t going to survive. He wasn’t anywhere near fast enough. So Naruto didn’t move. But he couldn’t fight either. Naruto wasn’t stupid. If he couldn’t hold his own against angry drunken men in the middle of the night, then he was hopeless against a natural born predator.

With low growls, occasionally snapping its jaws, the wolf stepped closer again, started to pace back and forth, watching Naruto with dark, hungry eyes. It sniffed the air and glanced at the fish but ultimately returned its hard stare back to Naruto.

_ What if I used the fish? _ Naruto thought. If it was hungry, it would probably go for the actual food, wouldn’t it? But if Naruto was the wolf… he would probably go for the bigger meal. Unbidden, a whine escaped him as he realized he might not live. He might be ripped to shreds. Tears pricked at his eyes. He had to try though. He had to. There were so many things he still wanted to do. He wanted one more bowl with Teuchi and Ayame. There was his dream to become Hokage too!

Naruto wanted to see Kazuma again. He didn’t want to die like this, alone, powerless.

The fire crackled and his eyes glanced at the flames and the sticks burning.

When Naruto’s whine reached the wolf, its ears flattened against its head and it snarled but stopped moving. It prepared to pounce as Naruto slowly, ever so slowly reached for the skewered fish.

Almost without warning, the wolf howled and leapt forward. Naruto already saw it coming. Panic made him kick at the fire towards it before it could get too close, grabbing a flaming stick and crying out as his leg and hand burned. But he didn’t let up.

“Get back!” he screamed as he thrust the fire at the wolf, running forward. The wolf stumbled back and snarled. Naruto swung the flames into its snout and it yelped. He shouted and kept screaming, kicking more of the fire at the wolf in a desperate fight for survival. The wolf kept snapping its jaws to get closer, inching forward but rearing back when Naruto would scream again and attack.

It was a blur of frenzied movement and terror clouding his mind. All Naruto could do was yell and swing fire around as it burned him and the wolf alike. He could barely see, barely think. All he wanted was to stay alive. He couldn’t die yet.

After what seemed like an eternity of hell, Naruto realized the wolf had retreated back to the trees and he wasn’t being burned nearly as bad anymore. He could still see the figure of the creature, crouched low in the bushes. With blood pumping in his ears, he looked down and gasped in horror.

First, his hands were blistered and bloody. Pain wracked his small frame, something he’d never felt before in his life. What truly made him scared though was the dwindling flames. His stick was still burning but barely and the fire at his feet was going out. Almost completely. There were barely embers now.

With a broken cry, Naruto realized the wolf was waiting. It was waiting for the fire to be gone completely. Naruto wasn’t going to hold out, everything hurt and he wanted to curl up in a ball and cry but he didn’t want to die and  _ he was going to die _ .

“Stay away from me!” he screamed, tears running down freely but somehow able to find it in himself to scowl and spit out words. “Don’t come near me! I’ll hurt you, you stupid mutt! Go away! Now! Leave me alone!”

Then his fire went out. The wolf leapt forward and Naruto cried.

####  ~Falling Stone~

Hatake Kakashi ran his fingers over their names. Over Obito, Rin, and Minato. He kept his fingers brushing over them, over and over. He thought about Obito’s stupid, dopey smile. Thought about his ridiculous excuses every morning he was late for training. He thought about Rin’s ever indulgent smile, her happy laughs when Obito did something stupid and her caring hands as she looked after them both. He thought of Minato’s careful guidance, his powerful strength as he pulled through the war but inevitably died protecting the village. Like the rest.

With a weary sigh, Kakashi shook those thoughts from his head. He gave one last look at their names, sending them a quick prayer and one for Kushina as well before leaving the Memorial Stone.

He shunshined to Hokage Tower, answering the summons he should have hours ago.

When he appeared before the Hokage, Hiruzen gave him a tired look but didn’t acknowledge his tardiness. “You summoned me, Hokage-sama?”

“I want you and your team on jinchuriki duty today. Badger will fill you in on your mission detail.”

Kakashi bit his lip to keep from voicing his thoughts. The Hokage knew what he felt about the jinchuriki. However, if he was putting the boy under his charge, then it was for good reason. Something had come up.

“Naruto is alright,” Hiruzen said and he was definitely smiling through that pipe of his. Kakashi was glad for his mask. “It’s not necessarily him I’m concerned about. Rather it’s about a man who seemed completely normal up until yesterday. A man who comes from outside of the village. He approached the jinchuuriki yesterday, displaying subpar skills of a chunin shinobi and has expressed interest in the boy. I want to know everything about him and if he’s a threat to this village before he can become one..”

As Kakashi made his way to the meeting place where he and Badger would make team collaborations, he thought about a young blonde child he hasn’t bothered to lay eyes on in years.

####  ~Falling Stone~

“This is kind of boring,” Bear said. Hound looked over his team. Unlike his usual members, he had Bear, Wolf, and Squirrel. The only one from his original team was Cat. It hadn’t escaped his notice that two of them were heavy hitters and the other two were intel. If the Hokage thought that a fight was going to happen, Bear and Wolf seemed a bit of an excessive precaution. What also hadn’t escaped his notice was how the Hokage never mentioned the foreigner’s name once. Hound only found it after he’d left the office and was briefing his team.

_ Namikaze _ . The name settled heavily in his gut. It made his fingers twitch and his mind race. He understood why the man hadn’t said anything. Hound probably would have taken his mask off and demanded the Hokage bring the man in then and there. Not the wisest of decisions.

It took all of his willpower to push down his urges and focus on the mission. It definitely didn’t help that said mission was slow and uneventful, or that it required him to look after his dead sensei’s son whom he had worked hard on avoiding for so long.

“Boring? I think it’s rather fun. This child has potential. Besides, I’d rather be here than in Iwa,” Squirrel said. After hours of uneventful surveillance, professionalism had been thrown out the window and the members of his team had relaxed. Hound envied them.

“I don’t understand why I’m here,” Wolf grumbled moodily. Bear huffed in agreement. Down below them, Uzumaki Naruto was catching fish and then attempting to season them with what he’d gathered. Hound was mildly impressed but he worried about the amount that he kept throwing into the trees. Sooner or later, he was going to attract the attention of something larger than a rabbit and deadlier than a deer.

“You know very well why you’re here,” Cat said. “The matter of Namikaze Kazuma should be taken seriously. With the unrest of the Uchiha, Danzo stirring up trouble, and Iwa gathering their forces for something we still aren’t sure of, we don’t need a spy trying to take the Kyuubi from us during these times.”

“There’s no such thing as peace,” Squirrel whispered but his words weren’t lost on the others.

“I feel five chakra signatures making their way toward us,” Cat suddenly said. “About a hundred meters out. I think it’s Badgers team.”

“Cat, Wolf, Bear. Watch the boy. Squirrel and I will check in with Badger and see what’s going on.”

“Yes, Captain,” he received from the others before taking off through the trees, Squirrel right behind him. It didn’t take long at all as Badger and Owl met him halfway.

“We’ve followed Namikaze Kazuma into the forest.”

“Funny,” Hound drawled, uncharacteristically letting his true personality show through. “The man just so happens to be making his way straight towards Uzumaki Naruto. A coincidence?”

“I don’t think so,” Badger said. “He went about normal activities, shopping, touring the village’s more well-known hot spots. Exactly ten minutes ago, he made a straight line towards the forest and it seems straight towards Naruto as well.”

Hound nodded and Badger left, returning to his team. Hound did the same.

“Prepare for some company. It seems both our charges will be joining up. Bear and Wolf, you both will be focused on Namikaze. Should it look like he’s going to make a move that’ll put Naruto in any kind of danger, you will cover us. Squirrel and Cat, you’ll get Naruto as far away as possible. Other than that, proceed as normally. Understood?”

“Yes Captain!”

A few more minutes passed in silence, the only sound being the trickling of the creek and Naruto’s mumbles as he experimented with more fish. However, when the man from the Land of Honey finally appeared, Hound was ashamed when he felt his breath stutter and his heart clench. Despite preparing himself, he had not been ready for… for  _ this _ .

Namikaze Kazuma was obviously related to Namikaze Minato, features so similar, it was painful to compare. The same blue eyes, the same bright blond hair. The same warm aura and confident stride. He moved with practiced ease, almost without a sound as he navigated the forest floor as smoothly as one would in a dance. But there were notable differences as well, Hound was relieved to realize.

This man was larger, stockier. His arms were scarred, his hair much longer and pulled into a low ponytail. He was definitely related to Namikaze Minato, however he didn’t look a whole lot like the man Kakashi had trained under. Strangely, Kakashi thought of the pictures Kushina had once shown him of the Uzumaki shinobi.

Shivering and shaking away thoughts of a powerful man, a happy husband and hopeful father, Hound focused on the more important details.

Firstly, this man did have the lower levels of chakra found in genin and chunin. However, even some powerful artisans who specialized in certain chakra-enhanced techniques had the same levels so it wasn’t surprising. He had a bow slung over one shoulder, a belt where knives were sheathed and a sack thrown over his back. Overall, a normal hunter that Hound would have looked over in any other setting.

But with the looks of his dead teacher, his name as well, making his way to the very same man’s orphaned child, Kakashi’s hackles were raised and alarm bells were going off in his head.

So far, it actually seemed like the man had no intention of revealing himself to Naruto. He walked within sight distance, then made his way around. The boy wasn’t aware of the other man at all, even as he crossed the creek and settled beyond the trees on the other side.

“This will be an interesting report,” Badger commented offhandedly. Hound heard a soft smack as one of the man’s team members shut him up.

For a while, the mission actually reverted back to surveillance as both subjects of attention did nothing noteworthy. They probably wouldn’t have, if the wolf didn’t show up.

Cat signaled for an incoming threat, a wolf, no doubt attracted by the smell of fish and quickly closing in. However, Hound hadn’t taken an eye off of the foreigner since he’d first seen him and interestingly enough, the man had also set aside whatever he had been fiddling with to look towards Naruto.

Naruto himself remained unaware of the impending danger.

As Namikaze stood up to make his way over, Hound signaled his team to hold their positions. Badger did the same as he leaped over.

“We wait?”

“And see what Namikaze does,” Hound said. “Unless Naruto is in danger, my team won’t move.”

“Then neither will mine,” Badger said before returning to position.

If nothing else, it was a painful wait. For Hound at least. All Anbu were aware as the wolf made its way over. However, to Hound’s confusion, the foreigner didn’t take Naruto away from danger, nor did he get rid of the potential threat. Instead, the chakra signature disappeared.

He had to stifle a gasp but he heard Squirrel sputter in surprise. Despite seeing the man right there in front of them, all signs of him existing disappeared. His chakra was gone, the scent of him in the air drifted away as if it were a day old, he didn’t make a sound as he moved closer to Naruto’s spot before stopping. The bow swung forward and he knocked an arrow but didn’t raise it. Just sat, waiting, watching.

Finally, the wolf appeared. Its low growl finally grabbed Naruto’s attention.

Thoughts about the stranger almost left Kakashi’s swirling thoughts. He almost couldn’t follow his own orders, a part of him raging at himself for leaving his teacher’s son alone, to grab him and take him somewhere safe. But he held back. Fear had Naruto frozen where he sat and some part of Kakashi probably wilted and died.

Naruto’s whimper didn’t help much but he noticed from the corner of his eye that Namikaze had twitched.

The wolf wasn’t too large, obviously hungry. Cat made a signal but Hound ignored her. The wolf paced before stopping, looking like it was preparing to pounce.

With willpower he never knew he possessed, Hound didn’t move as the wolf finally lunged and Naruto shouted, kicking flames and swinging a fiery stick. It served well to make the beast back off but Naruto didn’t stop there. He kept attacking, screaming at it. He was clearly outmatched in size and strength but made himself loud and somewhat dangerous. The distinct smell of burning flesh reached Hound’s nose and he tensed.

However, the method didn’t last long as all the kicking started to put the fire out. Naruto was crying now. As the wolf pulled back, waiting for a chance to strike, Naruto fell to his knees, no doubt weak from the burns and the terror coursing through his veins.

Then, just as the wolf leapt forward again, the whistling of an arrow cut through the air with startling clarity. Kakashi barely saw it from how fast it moved, and it slammed into the wolf with such power that it carried the beast away from the wounded child.

Kakashi was so startled, he didn’t immediately process the blond stranger walking towards Naruto.

“Naruto,” the man, Namikaze Kazuma, called out. Before he could say anything else, Kakashi could see the boy’s eyes roll back as he fainted.

Badger made a signal and Hound snorted. Interesting report indeed.

####  ~Falling Stone~

Kazuma felt guilty. Extremely guilty. Normally, he never would have thought, never would have considered, letting a child take on something like a wolf  _ just for the experience _ . It made him feel like absolute shit, really.

However, Naruto couldn’t have an easy life, that he was sure of. Comfort and ease made one complacent. When one had no true experiences or motivation, they would never go far or build a strong spirit. Naruto, of all people, would need the strongest foundations on which he would build his power.

Hopefully Kazuma could make up for the harsh lessons that would come in the future with all the pampering and coddling he could inflict upon his new little friend.

Naruto was still passed out as Kazuma cleaned his burns and scrapes. He spread a soothing salve over them before wrapping them, ignoring the steady healing that had already begun. The ten chakra signatures, no doubt the Anbu assigned to watch him and the ones to watch Naruto, still loomed overhead among the trees. It was a miracle none of them attempted to take him out and rescue Naruto.

_ Most likely watching to see what I’d do _ , he mused. There was probably going to be tighter surveillance over him after this. Unbidden, amusement made his lips twitch in a smile. The man didn’t particularly care whether they watched him or not. They were skilled but not skilled enough to keep an eye on his every movement.

Cutting the final bandage, Kazuma looked at Naruto’s pale face. He prayed to whatever gods that were left and listening that he would be able to make a difference this time around. That he would finally do things right.

That he would finally get to rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Constructive criticism is appreciated. I need all the help I can get to make this as amazing as possible, something for everyone to enjoy.
> 
> In the comments, slash was brought up and whether this story was going to include that or not. Frankly, I hadn't really thought that far about relationships and stuff. Preferably, I was going to leave them out. However, it's up to the readers so I'll a have a poll of sorts you all can leave in the comments.
> 
> a) No Romantic Relationships  
> b) Straight Romantic Relationships  
> c) Slash
> 
> If you guys choose (a), I can still make spin offs and one-shots of possible relationships based on this AU and put them in the same series. Tell me what you guys think.


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